While alcohol laws have traditionally targeted age limits for younger residents, officials are currently looking at a cap of 60 years old for legal alcohol purchases. Lawmakers cite a number of reasons for the proposal, ranging from health concerns to road safety.

“All medical professionals agree that alcohol makes the health of the elderly much worse,” said one Washington insider. “And as most DUI cases involve more grandmothers than 20-somethings, it was kind of a no-brainer. We’re all surprised this hasn’t come up before.”

New studies suggest a clear benefit from putting the cap on the drinking age. Though this first law would mostly affect the purchase of alcohol, states are expected to follow suit in their limits on home consumption. Traditionally, laws have differed state-to-state in regard to late-teens to 20-year-olds having an alcoholic beverage at home with family members. Now, the key to the liquor cabinet will have to be hidden from grandpa.

While many politicians that would be affected by the law have come out with support, Washington outsiders in their 60s and 70s feel otherwise.

“This is an outrage,” said Hoppy Milton, a 73-year-old retired pharmacist from Michigan. “It doesn’t hurt anyone for me to have a whiskey every now and then. This is exactly the kind of freedoms the government will continue to take from us if we don’t stand up to them.”

There is currently no indication when lawmakers will actually take up the drinking age cap. If no moves are made before fall, the issue is expected to take center stage during the 2012 presidential election. The Obama administration has made no official statement concerning alcohol age limits.